South Korea's top automotive group Hyundai Motor Group is beginning to offer Apple's CarPlay system in its vehicles sold here, market observers said Sunday.

Hyundai Motor Co., the bigger of the two automakers that make up the world's fifth-largest automotive group, began incorporating CarPlay into the infotainment system of the Hyundai Sonata this month, making it the first vehicle model produced and sold here that is CarPlay-compatible, according to the market observers.

Apple CarPlay is a system that allows drivers to connect their iPhone to their cars' infotainment system to change the very display of the infotainment system with that of the iPhone, making it easier and safer to use various apps on the phone, including GPS, with one's voice.


Hyundai Motor is seeking to attract more iPhone users with CarPlay-compatible models of the all-new Grandeur passenger sedan, set to be launched later in the year, and the i30 compact passenger car.

Its smaller affiliate Kia Motors Corp. is also on the move, incorporating Apple CarPlay into the 2017 model of its passenger minivan Carnival, globally sold as the Kia Sedona.

Both Hyundai and Kia have already incorporated CarPlay into most of their vehicles sold globally, according to company officials.

Unlike Apple CarPlay, Google's Android Auto that offers nearly identical services has yet to find its way into locally produced and sold vehicles.

This was largely due to a delay in the development of a vehicle navigation system for South Korea.

"Both Android Auto and Apple CarPlay are gaining wide popularity globally as they both enhance the safety and convenience of drivers," a Hyundai Motor official said, asking not to be identified.

"The company is also making necessary preparations to be able to incorporate Android Auto in its vehicles as soon as related regulations that currently prevent the introduction of the app are lifted." (Yonhap)